


Hide

by iopeneditbeforechristmas



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 07:57:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4214085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iopeneditbeforechristmas/pseuds/iopeneditbeforechristmas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Humiliation aside, Touka can still bring herself to remember that Kaneki calls him Hide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hide

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I wrote Touhide before Touken.

The human boy is trying to talk to her. Touka glares. She knows him, kind of, in the distant way one knows a friend of a friend. She knows a lot of girls – and boys – who frequent the café, at least the ones young enough to appreciate such things without being called a creep, think he’s cute, in a plain sort of way. She can see where they’re coming from. Sunshine-coloured hair sticks up from his head in all manner of ridiculous directions, though from the brown roots it’s clear that he’s dying it, and there’s an endearing charm to his easy smile - well there would be, if Touka was in the habit of finding things endearing or charming. Objectively, he’s nice enough and not bad-looking, all things considered.

She just hates the way he tries to fit into their world.

He must know something; Touka’s seen the sharp intellect in those eyes, hidden behind layers of boisterous idiocy and deference to Kaneki, and there’s not a chance that he hasn’t begun to pick up on things he finds strange. And with all the talk of ghouls lately they’ll have been on his mind long enough for him to put two and two together.

By rights, she should kill him. Maybe a couple of months ago, she would have done. But Touka couldn’t even kill _Nishiki’s_ human, so there’s not a chance she’ll be able to do away with Kaneki’s.

“Hey!” the boy says, “Touka!”

He’s given up using Kirishima, she’s noticed. Does that mean he thinks they’re friends? Damn. She really should kill him. Instead, given that she’s getting the look from Koma, the one that means she better start moving or he’ll bring out stories of the Devil Ape, Touka makes her way over to where the boy is sitting. It’s annoying, how Koma’s figured out how infuriating they all find the Devil Ape nonsense. Well, it isn’t nonsense really, she’s heard the stories well enough, so maybe he’s just using it to get them to work now. Damn ape.

“What would you like to order?” Touka asks, trying not to let slip that she fucking hates him.

“Just an ordinary coffee,” the boy says. Touka frowns; maybe there’s something wrong. He usually asks for the latte art. Before she can say anything he adds, “I’ve just been feeling like something plainer. No milk.”

Touka shrugs and goes to leave, but stops when the human puts a hand on her arm.

“Is Kaneki here today?”

So that’s why he’s been visiting Anteiku so much, Touka realises. She knows that for ghouls, their humans are their lifelines. At least, from observing the only two she knows who have humans who know of their identity, one an idiot and the other a sex-obsessed four-eyes, it’s clear that they both rely on their humans to a ridiculous extent.

Touka doesn’t want to admit it, but maybe that’s what it’s like for her and Yoriko.

But maybe it works the other way around too? In this she can definitely say that it’s not the same for her and Yoriko, because Yoriko has a family and other friends, but Nishiki’s shitty human seems to have a shitty life with nothing else in it, and given the generally shitty quality of everything to do with Kaneki, maybe his human doesn’t have anything else either. Maybe that’s why he’s been here so often and why he’s been staring at the staff with that look on his face. Whenever Kaneki’s here he joins in their conversations – and sometimes he’ll try and include himself even without his friend – but lately he’s just taken to staring at them or out of the window like a little lost puppy.

Touka almost feels sorry for him.

“No,” she says, “I don’t know where he is, sorry.”

That’s a lie. Touka knows exactly where Kaneki is; he’s training with Yomo in the tunnels. The idiot’s gotten a lot stronger – and Touka knows she has his quick thinking to thank for being able to beat Tsukiyama that time – but he’s still a weakling, and if he comes across any other ghouls he’ll still be picked off like a rat.

Touka leaves quickly, heading back to the counter to make his coffee. Damn human, making her make coffee like that. Sometimes Touka wonders how Yoshimura ever thought she’d be suitable for waitressing.

“What’s up with him?” Nishiki asks with a glance towards the human boy. If Touka tried really properly, she’d probably remember his name. She can’t be bothered.

“Dunno,” she says. “Pining after Kaneki, probably.”

Nishiki doesn’t say anything, merely stares at the human boy, who in retrospect almost definitely knows that Nishiki tried to kill him. Kudos to him for managing to refrain from squeaking every time the taller guy passes. Not that Nishiki inspires very much fear in anyone, being an asshole and an idiot to boot - oh how Touka wishes she could say that and it actually be true - but the boy’s a human who almost got killed by a ghoul, so the feeling would probably be understandable.

It’s possibly the only thing about him that is understandable, right down to why he dies his hair. He’d probably look nice with the pale brown he had originally, Touka thinks, but then again…his hair is the colour of sunshine, and to somebody he definitely is the sunshine.

Touka hates herself for thinking something so sappy; she’s not that soft. She wouldn’t wear matching bangles with Yoriko, for example.

Does this mean she’s thinking of Yoriko as her human? Damn.

By the time she takes the human his coffee, Touka’s frazzled beyond belief and Nishiki hasn’t even bothered to try to wind her up.

“Thanks,” the boy says listlessly.

Touka feels like she should say something, words of encouragement about Kaneki maybe.

“He’s all right,” she tries, “Still being an idiot.”

The boy nods, “Yeah. That he is.”

He looks down into his coffee. It’s black, so Touka couldn’t even try to give it some latte art. With the pathetic look on the human’s face she might even have given it a shot out of pity.

“Look,” Touka says, “Maybe you should try calling him. Or email? I know he’s still alive, if that’s what you’re wondering!”

It sounds too jovial; for the situation her and Kaneki and everybody at Anteiku – every ghoul ever, actually – is in, it’s not something to be joked about. Her father, Hinami’s parents…life can be snuffed out in the blink of an eye, and so to a ghoul it’s something that should never be taken for granted. The boy doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even make an attempt at cracking one of his ridiculous smiles, and so Touka gets the feeling he understands exactly what was beneath her ill-fated joke.

“Well,” the boy says, draining his coffee, “I’d better go. It was nice seeing you, Touka.”

“Yeah,” she says, busying herself with his cup. “Stay safe. I’m sure he’s just got something on his mind.

“Probably,” the boy admits. “He’s always thought about things far too much for his own good."

There's a pause before he adds, "Stupid Kaneki," but there's no bite in his words.

And then he’s gone, the door of Anteiku swinging shut behind him. Touka watches him walk down the street outside, head down and hands jammed into his pockets. She can’t see it, but there’s probably an odd expression on her face. This is confirmed when Nishiki joins her at the table, smirking.

“Aw,” he says slyly, “Does ickle Touka have a crush?”

“No!” she exclaims. Ghouls don’t blush much, that’s a well-established fact, but she’s testing the limits now. “Don’t be stupid, shitty four-eyes.”

Nishiki laughs and swaggers off to clean the tables, resolutely followed by one of Touka’s angry glares. She can hear a couple of patrons sniggering, whether at her or the situation in general she doesn’t know, and the scowl only intensifies. Damn human.

Humiliation aside, Touka can still bring herself to remember that Kaneki calls him Hide.


End file.
